| The legend of Center Park was the guy who | | | | an able bodied child. I went quite overboard |
| made it up the stairwell in his manual | | | | to make sure she would be safe. So I am one |
| wheelchair, got onto the roof, and jumped off | | | | of the "escapees" of Center Park, although I |
| and successfully died. Really, there was | | | | was never one of the residents. At the time I |
| nothing to do at Center Park, except for | | | | lived there, I wasn't yet physically or |
| gossip mongering and television. The most | | | | mentally challenged. That would come later, |
| exciting weekly event was when the old ladies | | | | when I was put on medication for depression, |
| left on the communal charter bus to go get | | | | which did some bad things to my physical |
| their ancient hair done at the beauty parlor, | | | | system and caused severe spasming and |
| or once a week working in the arts and crafts | | | | disability, most of which has now abated with |
| room, needing to allow several days for your | | | | me. Reggie has a bad back and some other |
| project to harden and dry. | | | | minor physical problems, but he's now |
| | | | semi-retired, and he can still perform his |
| Nowadays, thank God, disabled people have the | | | | beloved landscaping and gardening without any |
| Internet within easy reach. A life of | | | | real problems. |
| contemplating suicide is no real life, don't | | | | |
| you think? That major problem with spending | | | | What you need to learn from this article is |
| one's time is now relatively resolved. But | | | | that even autobiographical stuff can make one |
| there are surely other such Civil Rights | | | | very happy and content person happen. Anyway, |
| Movement problems to conquer, including | | | | this is really about Social Politics, and the |
| renaming the entire thing something weird, | | | | way of the world is that even disabled people |
| like the Independent Living Movement. | | | | must suffer from losing one or more |
| Actually, I'm just kidding; those are two | | | | attendants at a time. Then, they get replaced |
| separate movements. Black People don't think | | | | by other ones. What truth this becomes is |
| in terms of their being disabled like "we" | | | | there is a job in politics awaiting you if |
| are, they consider themselves able and | | | | you care for caring for other people. In |
| challenged only by social rituals such as | | | | short, disabled people need attendants, and |
| being or not being hired and other such | | | | this article advertises for the job. You can |
| sociological problems. It is an entirely | | | | find it in the newspapers and on the Internet |
| different thing, but there are certainly | | | | under "home health care aides" - and other |
| disabled African-Americans who need access to | | | | such titles. |
| both of those movements. Learning | | | | |
| disabilities - for one - are prevalent in | | | | You don't have to think of it as politics so |
| every community in the United States. At | | | | much anymore because of the Internet. Also, |
| Center Park, there was some discussion that I | | | | it's a nursing oriented job that can lead to |
| recall about this. Learning disabilities can | | | | wonderful factionalism among the compadres |
| preclude your being able to compete on the | | | | who gather and create new things that make |
| same level for a job, whether you live at | | | | absolutely this entire world into a wonderful |
| Center Park or anywhere else. Life in there | | | | place. Meanwhile, I know this is true, |
| included many such learning challenges. | | | | because I am now disabled physically - where |
| | | | I wasn't before; it was going to happen |
| There's still the most beautiful Adam and Eve | | | | anyway, and yes, I am now a professional |
| garden you ever saw, which was focused on | | | | writer. You too can do such terrific things |
| your being able to circumnavigate it in a | | | | with your life, such as writing for pay, and |
| wheelchair with ease. But they probably won't | | | | now all of we who are physically challenged |
| let you smoke at Center Park nowadays, except | | | | have the WWW Internet at our polite disposal. |
| for right outside the building's perimeter. | | | | |
| Smoking was "not allowed" - back in the | | | | Isn't life great, whether you're disabled, |
| 1980s. I'm sure they still let them smoke | | | | handicapped, physically or mentally |
| outside. The wondrous garden, a fairytale | | | | challenged, or not, when you have something |
| paradise of sorts, was looped around the | | | | to do? For example, although I have a minor |
| building, and it but now lurks in my mind's | | | | physical disability and some minor mental |
| eye - it's where two almost ex-heroes met, | | | | difficulties, I am quite capable of being a |
| namely, my husband and me. I had saved a | | | | freelance writer, copy editor, rewriter, |
| Black family once, and he had rescued | | | | ghost writer, author and illustrator on an |
| thousands of people during his stint as a | | | | ongoing professional basis. Therefore, you |
| medic in the Viet Nam War. | | | | should consider my services, if you have a |
| | | | book manuscript or are preparing one for |
| We had both several times tossed our lives | | | | publication. |
| away to serve other people - and we both had | | | | |
| completely forgotten that. He and I were | | | | Thus ends my series of articles about our |
| personal care attendants, me in the home, and | | | | local Independent Living Movement and the |
| he in the hospital system. We were finally | | | | Physically and Mentally Challenged people of |
| villains for a change with each other, and we | | | | Center Park, Seattle, Washington, USA. |
| "dumped" Center Park to get married and have | | | | |